Board of Supervisors Meeting: Tune in on Tuesday, April 28, at 8:30 am at www.vcemergency.com to view an update on COVID-19 response at the weekly Board of Supervisors meeting.

Beaches: County of Ventura beaches had soft closures throughout the weekend. Parking and bathrooms were closed. Beaches were patrolled by law enforcement on horse, bike, foot, ATV’s and with drone monitoring. Police agencies reported positive compliance. Visitors were permitted to walk, jog, run, swim and surf while enjoying the beach. Gatherings are prohibited in the County of Ventura. Outdoor activities are encouraged and this becomes even more important as the length of the stay home order stretches on. Community members were compliant and this compliance is also reflected in our numbers. We have some of the lowest numbers of cases in the state. We continue to see slowing of the spread, doubling every 26 days and we have hospital capacity throughout the County.

A joint press conference was held April 24 to show coordinated efforts with local and state partners. The press conference can be viewed at:https://vimeo.com/411617073.

Chief of Police, City of Oxnard

“We had extra staffing at the beaches, including officers on ATV’s and bicycles. We informed beach goers of the way we were enforcing the health order and asked for their cooperation. That cooperation as well as everyone’s patience, during this crisis was much appreciated,” said City of Oxnard Police Chief Scott Whitney. Message from Oxnard Police: https://www.facebook.com/OxnardPD/videos/2394338097537109/

Chief of Police, City of Port Hueneme

“Our crowds stayed relatively tame throughout the weekend with most beach goers adhering to the restrictions such as no beach chairs, coolers, and umbrellas on the beach. We had the occasional guest who brought a sand umbrella, but they quickly complied after being contacted,” said City of Port Hueneme Police Chief Andrew Salinas. “We had visible checkpoints as you entered our beach area manned by officers providing guests with the do's and don'ts. We were able to capture beach density with our drone which really painted the picture that we did not have crowds at our beaches. As a county, we clearly did it the right way. We did receive complaints of people upset that we had our beaches open because of what they were seeing on TV in other counties. If people came to the beach, they would have seen how there was order and people were safely enjoying their time,” he added.

“There were a lot of contacts with the public, mostly positive or advisory. Enforcement has been primarily parking related with a lot of out of town visitors parking where they shouldn’t. Extra officers with marked vehicles on the sand helped,” said City of Ventura Police Chief Darin Schindler.

“The soft closures of the Ventura County parks on the old Pacific Coast Highway between Emma Wood State Beach and Seacliff and several of the inland parks over the weekend went very well. The public as a whole, was willing to comply when asked by staff to keep moving. The majority of beach access was from pedestrian or bicycle traffic. Trails were also open and staff reported no issues with their use,” said Theresa Lubin, acting Director, Ventura County Parks.

County Harbor Director

“The reopening of the public launch ramp and the soft closure of the beaches in the Channel Islands Harbor successfully afforded the opportunity for the public to enjoy the outdoors while adhering to the Public Health Order. Harbor Department staff monitored the launch ramp all weekend, and staff from the Sheriff’s Office, Code Compliance and the Harbor Department joined forces to monitor the beaches. Beachgoers were directed to stay active and not gather, and the County utilized all-terrain vehicles, mounted patrols and even a drone with audio capabilities to ensure rule adherence,” said County of Ventura Channel Islands Harbor Director Mark Sandoval.